The Prince Wants to Retire

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Crown Prince Wants to Retire

23. Who is the True Number One in the Empire? (3)

Despite another prince appearing, Kariel had taken no significant action and remained focused on the Northeast. Meanwhile, within the Imperial Palace, a man named Derek began to become a thorn in everyone’s side.

Since the situation in the Northeast was urgent, they had initially left him be, but he kept escalating matters.

Eventually, the Emperor caught wind of this.

“Your Majesty.”

“You’ve come to inquire about the truth of the rumor, haven’t you?”

The Emperor chuckled softly at the sight of the two princes, looking haggard as they approached.

“What would you do if the rumor turned out to be true?”

“… We would have to accept him as royalty.”

The Second Prince’s statement seemed to gain agreement from the Third Prince, who nodded in understanding.

They needed to patch things up and focus on the Northeast.

Reports were rolling in that what was happening there was not just a simple earthquake, and with the Continental Conference postponed indefinitely, it was uncertain what the leaders returning to their countries would do.

“The South is up to something strange.”

Having already received reports through the Shadows, the Emperor asked the two princes.

“… That’s correct. Especially the military movements in Talos seem unusual.”

“Rotheon has also pulled back its pawns in the Empire.”

Following the Third Prince’s comment, the Second Prince voiced his concerns about the unsettling actions of the Southern Kingdoms.

At the moment, it appeared that they were rallying their forces to condemn Dark Mages publicly, but in reality, it was like walking on thin ice.

Iron’s alliance with the Empire seemed to create a barrier preventing the Southern Kingdoms from taking immediate action; however, if the Empire suffered tremendous losses in the Northeast, circumstances could swiftly change.

From the perspective of the two princes, it was necessary to bring Derek, who was causing turmoil in the capital, to the palace and quiet him down.

“You’re quite confident.”

Seeing the confidence in their eyes, suggesting it would be alright to elevate Derek to a prince, the Emperor couldn’t help but smile.

The political sense learned from their brother Kariel, and most importantly, the confidence that their positions were secure following the abdication from the Crown Prince’s role, shone in their demeanor.

“To answer your earlier question: I have no idea.”

“… Yes?”

“How many women do you think I met during my youth?”

At the Emperor’s question, Rufiel wore a dumbfounded expression.

“Perhaps… ten?”

“Are you joking?”

“Uh…”

Rufiel, not knowing, looked over at Seriel, who also bore a confused look.

“Tsk! How can my own children be so clueless…”

The Emperor clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Yet Rufiel and Seriel had been preoccupied with magic and swordsmanship, and lately, had been overwhelmed with labor due to Kariel, leaving them no time for anything else.

“To cut to the chase, I met so many that I lost count.”

“Ah…”

“Well, it wasn’t like I just dated anyone at random.”

The Emperor briefly reminisced about the past.

To compensate for the lack of abilities compared to his younger brother, he had engaged in various dealings.

There were multiple factions including merchants, mines, ports, and farms, and to win them over, he dated one of the daughters from the noble families belonging to those factions.

Once he managed to solidify enough support from one faction, he’d move on to another woman.

“For me, even dating was an extension of politics.”

“Hmm…”

“…”

Seeing the two princes in silence, the Emperor chuckled to himself.

Geniuses might struggle to comprehend this behavior, but for the Emperor back then, who lacked everything except being the firstborn, it was an unavoidable choice.

“Tsk! Don’t you realize it yet?”

The Emperor clicked his tongue again.

“Among the women I met, none had uncertain statuses.”

When the Emperor said this, the eyes of both princes widened in surprise.

“So it’s likely they aren’t real?”

“The chances of them being fake are high. However, it’s also possible one of those women secretly bore a child.”

When Rufiel asked, the Emperor replied with a grin.

This left the two princes filled with questions.

“Are you curious why I leave him be?”

“… Yes.”

“Yes.”

At their affirmation, the Emperor smiled broadly.

“For the same reason Kariel stays put.”

Yet the two princes still couldn’t shake the look of confusion from their faces.

The Emperor observed them and thought, ‘Yes, this is how it should be.’

At their age, it was right not to be fully matured yet.

In his own case, he had taken over the throne and it took him years to build the experience he had now.

Meanwhile, Kariel was already displaying abilities that almost rivaled his own, if not surpassed.

‘Still, these kids have their humanity, which is refreshing.’

Thinking this internally, the Emperor laughed as he spoke.

“I plan to wait until the ones behind him show themselves.”

“Ah…”

“Hmm…”

“What are you anxious about? You all have your brother setting the stage. No matter what he or his backers do, this stage won’t shatter. Even if it shakes, what’s the problem?”

At the Emperor’s words, the two princes paused, then nodded, recalling someone.

“If the Empire wavers, that fellow will handle it. So don’t worry and just focus on your tasks.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

With their affirmatives, the Emperor nodded slightly and waved his hand.

The two princes quietly bowed their heads and exited the palace.

As the door closed, the room quickly fell silent.

Sitting nonchalantly on the throne, the Emperor suddenly covered his mouth with his hand.

“Cough! Cough!”

Once he forcefully expelled the cough he had been holding back before the princes, he gasped for breath.

Noticing the dark blood, he realized he might not have much time left.

“… Your Majesty.”

An attendant hurried in with medication, checking on the Emperor.

“… I’m fine.”

Waving his hand dismissively, the Emperor managed a self-deprecating smile.

“It seems my sons are only now seeking me out.”

As he murmured this, he pondered the struggles of his eldest son, who was toiling far away.

He was indeed a seemingly weak child.

A kid he presumed would have less talent than himself.

Yet at some point, he began to shine and turned the Empire upside down.

It was true that a mix of pride and envy had surged within him.

However, since that child decided to retire, his thoughts had shifted significantly.

While he occasionally felt envy, watching him struggle through hardships melted away his sour feelings.

“… Is your health okay, Your Majesty?”

Seeing the attendant mention his health problems, the Emperor smiled and nodded.

“If I’m making him move as intended, then what reason do I have to be unwell?”

Holding onto someone who wants to retire and keeping him engaged.

Moreover, other officials and nobles, who had caused him so much distress, were also in the same boat.

In such circumstances, how could he not enjoy himself?

“Looks like I’ll be able to enjoy my final days.”

Even with the many women he had met or during his reign, nothing compared to this level of satisfaction.

“Cough! Cough!”

Once again coughing, the Emperor wore a disappointed expression.

Just as he began to enjoy life, his body was rapidly approaching its end.

“… I wish I could hold on a bit longer.”

He thought about his firstborn, who was striving diligently.

Every time something occurred, they brought significant change to the Empire, so he was curious how this time he would develop a clever strategy to resolve the chaos and advance the Empire.

“They’ll probably try to retire calmly again this time.”

“… That would be so.”

“I’d like to thwart the retirement, just once more.”

The Emperor smiled as he glanced at the attendant.

“Don’t you think so?”

“… If Your Majesty sets your mind to it, anything is possible.”

“Ha ha ha! You too secretly hope that my firstborn inherits this position, don’t you?”

As the Emperor said this, the attendant remained silent.

Watching the attendant’s quiet demeanor made the Emperor contemplate.

‘If the firstborn became Emperor…’

He imagined Kariel reacting with a horrified expression, evading reality.

The image of that firstborn, scrunching his face, wearing the official cap, and unwillingly presiding over the Grand Council Meeting amused the Emperor greatly.

“This seems like it would be fun.”

As the Emperor muttered with a peculiar glint in his eye, the attendant let out a low sound.

It seemed that Kariel’s desired life might not come to fruition after all.

*

As the dying Emperor began to contemplate ways to disrupt Kariel’s YOLO life, the two princes silently immersed themselves in their own pursuits.

Because of this, the rumors about Derek, the so-called hidden prince, had swelled and spread throughout the Empire.

“The rumors about this Derek have made their way here.”

In a rural village unharmed by the tremors, Kariel rested as Talion quietly spoke.

“Let it be.”

He reflected on his previous life.

Dark Mages had incited another rebellion that destroyed the Empire by using Derek.

They pulled Kariel’s attention away and engaged in other schemes.

There was a high likelihood that the same scenario could repeat.

‘Back then, it was merely a terrorist act using dark mana.’

But now that he thought about it, they had managed to divert the Empire’s gaze and incite neighboring states to invade.

Since all the masters had been eliminated and their troops weakened, neighboring countries must’ve believed they had a fair shot.

So, they had fallen for the cunning words of the Dark Mages.

If he suspected that the Monster Wave was related to them…

It meant the Empire’s strength was eroded in a sequence of rebellion-neighboring invasion-Monster Wave.

And considering the subsequent human wars indicates that this was entirely plausible.

If that’s the case, they would certainly employ a similar strategy again.

Having already thwarted two volcanic eruptions with minimal damage, they were undoubtedly planning something bigger this time.

“What could it be…”

“Excuse me?”

“I have a feeling these Dark Mages are not the type to be satisfied with just this.”

They had drawn a considerable amount of the Empire’s troops to the Northeast while inciting chaos in the capital.

With the focus shifted, some hidden tactic prepared by the Dark Mages should be emerging.

“What about my brothers? Are they not confused?”

“Yes, they are focused on their respective tasks.”

Satisfied with Talion’s response, Kariel rubbed his chin.

He had expected them to be confused due to their youth and immaturity, but the resolve displayed by his brothers seemed stronger than anticipated. It appeared they could handle additional responsibilities.

“Deliver this letter to them. It’s urgent, so do so as quickly as possible.”

“Yes!”

As Talion disappeared to relay the message to the Shadows, Kariel summoned his commanders.

The Legion Commander from the Central Army and both Counts of the East and North gathered in one place.

“It seems we should start applying pressure on the Holy Nation soon… What does everyone think?”

“I agree. Since the Pope is involved, it seems pointless to wait for the Holy Nation to suffer further.”

The Northern Count added to the discussion while the Eastern Count chimed in.

“We should act quicker instead.”

“What’s the reasoning behind that?”

“Reports indicate that the monsters in the Labyrinth are quite formidable. From a commander’s perspective, I believe we should secure advantageous positions before they spread further.”

“What does the Central Army Legion Commander think?”

“I share the same opinion.”

The Northern Count displayed a hint of disappointment as he observed the commanders’ thoughts.

Since the Pope had not reached the Northeast yet, he hoped for a bit more damage to be inflicted.

From the Northern Count’s position, having to independently contain the Holy Nation, he would have preferred the Holy Nation’s troops to suffer greater casualties.

Noticing the disappointment in the Northern Count, Kariel made a firm decision.

“Let’s move quickly.”

In response to Kariel’s decision, the Eastern Count and the Central Army Legion Commander nodded, leaving to make their preparations for departure.

Kariel turned his attention back to the Northern Count, Marquis Sicario, who still wore a look of disappointment.

“The reason for my decision is to avoid giving the Holy Nation any unnecessary reasons to scrutinize us.”

Kariel explained his reasoning to Marquis Sicario.

“By learning about the Labyrinth’s information, we’ve obtained a card to pressure the Holy Nation in the future. It’s a pity that the Holy Nation remains strong, but in the grand scheme of things, this seems to be the right decision.”

“… Yes.”

“I’ll surely deliver a hefty blow later, so even if you feel disappointed now, please follow my lead for this time.”

“I trust you.”

As Marquis Sicario nodded, Kariel smiled.

It wouldn’t take long to deliver a decisive strike to the Holy Nation.

‘Once the matter with the Labyrinth is resolved, I’ll surely strike back swiftly; just wait a little longer.’

With this thought, Kariel began preparing for departure as well.

And shortly after, Kariel set off with the Imperial Army toward their destination.